Think back to your favorite days in the mountains. What makes them stick in your memory? For me, those shared moments—the laughter echoing across ridgelines, the silent trust in a bootpack, the smiles when you meet your friend at the bottom of your line—make the most memorable time in the mountains. Those are the feelings we wanted to capture in That One Friend, a film based on the idea that every pro skier needs that one friend to remind us why we started skiing in the first place.

Waverly, or Waves, as I call her, has been that one friend for the past eight years. We first met while living in Denver, both balancing work and spending as much time outside as possible. Over time, our careers and shared passion for skiing and adventure led us to Carbondale, Colorado, a small town with big mountain energy. From the start, I felt like Waves and I were cut from the same cloth. Our friendship has always been built on positivity and fun, but over the years it’s evolved with trust, depth and growth. 

We’ve seen each other through so many evolutions, which I believe is why our friendship is so strong now. Today, Waves works in consumer brand strategy in the running world and I’ve built a professional ski career as a Mountain Athlete for Stio. Our paths are different, but they’ve always orbited around a shared love for the outdoors.

When directors Sara and Grant Robbins approached me about creating a short film centered around our friendship, I’ll admit, I was a little hesitant. Waves works a regular 9-to-5 job and had never been in front of the camera for a ski film, so I didn’t know if she would be open to the idea. But when I texted her to ask, she replied with an emphatic, “YES!” 

We filmed That One Friend over a single April weekend in the Roaring Fork Valley in Colorado.  Waves and I loaded up our shared snowmobile, known as White Lightning, at the Ashcroft trailhead and headed toward Tagert Hut. One of the iconic 10th Mountain Division huts in this area, Tagert is a cozy little A-frame tucked into the alpine. Going there has become one of our favorite winter traditions for its access, homey feel, and the Switzerland-esque views of the West Elk Range.

The original idea for the film was simple: playful spring skiing featuring some of the breathtaking couloirs near the hut. But as the mountains often remind us, plans change. On the first day of filming, winter returned and dropped nearly a foot of fresh powder, a surprise gift to close out the season. The next day, the wind picked up. We had planned to ski a dogleg-shaped couloir, but with the snow swirling and loading rapidly, we made the call to switch to a more protected line.

It was Waves’ first time bootpacking up a couloir, and true to form she was down to try something new. We stood in the bootpack in 50 mph winds for about 40 minutes waiting for our film crew to get the shots we needed. Most people would say that is a tough way to spend a Sunday, but we made the most of it by joking around and keeping spirits high. That’s what this film is about: the friends who say yes and make every day in the mountains fun even if the conditions are less than ideal.

We finished off the weekend filming what seems to be everyone’s favorite part: the gummy bear scene. Did you know that you can bite off the bottom of a gummy bear and it will stick to your helmet? They stay on while you’re skiing and are a nice little snack for when you’re done. Waves adorned my helmet with a mini army of gummy bears to cheer me on while we skied down our next line. 

Making That One Friend was one of the best experiences I have had filming, probably because I got to do it with my best friend. We hope you can laugh, get excited for the season and think of your friends when you watch this film. Because at the end of the day, it’s all about the people you share the moments in the mountains with that make every winter memorable.